"When I made the tough decision to walk away from boxing, I knew it was not going to be easy," Audley said in a statement. "As the days passed, I knew I would not be able to live with the decision.

"I wrestled with it for a few weeks, and spoke to everyone from the boxing board, to Lennox Lewis, David Haye, my dad, wife and many others … ultimately seeing my son born crystallized my decision'.

"There is no way I am going to tell my son, 'I gave up because I didn't want to climb the mountain again, I didn't want to dust myself off again' when I'm now in the best shape of my career? How can I retire, when I know I have another shot in me?"

"We all saw how the fight ended, which was not right. I can't walk away with that performance. If I do, it would haunt me until I'm old and grey.

"Don't know where, but see you in a ring real soon."

Harrison could now step in to face Dereck Chisora on June 15. Chisora was due to meet Wilder on that summer date - with the bout even being announced by promoter Frank Warren - but the American's current legal troubles in the US have thrown the meeting into real doubt.